Zoe and Max- In The Clear Yet?
by LauraLovesNT
Summary: Zoe's been involved in a car accident and Max sits by her hospital bed thinking over their relationship. 3-shot. (Probably!) I don't own the characters or lyrics in this fic!
1. Chapter 1

Zoe and Max-In The Clear Yet?

A/N

So this is a sequel to "To Stay Or To Go?" and the prequel to "New Faces and Old Secrets". I hope you enjoy!

It's Zax, and a bit sad but I promise that there is a happy ending!

I'm sorry that the first chapter is so short, but future chapters will be longer! (Promise!)

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx

In all her life, Zoe Hanna never thought that she would fall for someone way younger than her. Especially a porter. She was a Doctor in a very high position. For goodness' sake, why had she fallen for Max, of all people? Ugh, she was crap at relationships.

Briefly, she remembered the stream of failed relationships which had come before Max. she closed her eyes and locked them away in a dusty old box at the back of her mind where they belonged.

Max adored Zoe. She was funny, , lovable… unless you were on the wrong end of one of her bollockings, of course. But 99% of the time, she was lovely.

But, of course, he was far too young for her, as she'd told him on several occasions. Their love affair had been brief, yet Max believed it could last forever, that it could develop into something more. How stupid could he get?! She obviously believed that it was only a fling. Max, on the other hand, had been naïve.

Oh well, another lesson learnt. Don't fall for people that you can't have, because it bloody hurt.

Max decided to call Zoe and see if she was okay. It was a Saturday night, she'd probably be asleep in front of the TV, a glass of wine in her hand.

He decided to call her, see if she was okay.

He got his phone out of his pocket and dialled the now-familiar number.

She didn't pick up straightaway. Max sighed and held the phone to his ear for a couple of seconds longer.

Eventually, somebody finally picked up the phone, but it wasn't Zoe.

"Hi Max, it's Robyn. Zoe's had a car crash." His sister's voice told him.

"I'm on my way." Max rang off and got his jacket on.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-A Chat With Robyn

A/N

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or Casualty. All I own is mistakes!

I know that Zoe's waking up is miraculous, but come on, this is fic-land! I can take a bit of creative license, right? And besides, I don't want to kill her off!

Reviews welcome (thanks for them so far! They mean a lot!)

Laura xxx :-)

Max ran all the way to Holby City Emergency Department. Tears poured down his face, he was terrified for Zoe. Was she dead? About to die? On a life support machine? He had no idea.

"Lily!" Max spotted her helping to unload someone from an ambulance.

He gasped when he saw who it was. Zoe.

Blood covered the top half of her face, it looked like she had a scar there, but he was not completely sure.

He left leg was twisted into a strange position, and the right arm of her blazer had been ripped off. Her arm was covered in blood, cuts and bruises, already turning purple.

"Oh my God." Was all he could say.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything Max, but why are you here? Do you have a personal connection with Dr Hanna?" Lily asked, somewhat coldly.

"You could say that." Max said.

Lily scowled at him but didn't pursue the subject.

Zoe's injuries where cleaned up and all the time, Max was sitting beside her, tears rolling down his face.

"She has quite a few deep scratches on her body, so she's going to have to go to theatre in a few minutes. After that, she's going to have an X-ray to see if she's got any broken bones." Lily informed Max.

He nodded. "Okay." He answered.

Lily left the room.

"Zoe, you can do this. Please pull through, I love you, you know." Max took Zoe's hand and kissed it.

Her eyes flickered open. "I know." She tried to smile.

He smiled back. "I'll wheel you down to the operating room, if you'd like?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'd like that." She answered, and closed her eyes again.

Lily came into the room. Max stood up.

"Zoe woke up a few minutes ago and talked to me." He informed her.

Lily nodded. "Okay, thank you." She smiled.

"I'm going to take her down to theatre, if that's okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Sure."

The journey to theatre seemed endless.

"Are you okay? You're clutching that bar of the hospital bar a bit tight" Robyn appeared beside him.

Max jumped slightly."Yeah, I'm fine." He answered.

"You love her, don't you?" she got straight to the point.

"It's complicated." He replied.

She patted his arm. "Explain all to me later." She said as she opened the door to theatre.

Zoe was wheeled into theatre to be operated on. Max sat outside, literally twiddling his thumbs. She hated that habit of his, she always told him off when he did it. He usually gave his cheeky smile and said "Shouldn't I be telling you off for being irresistibly cute?"

She'd laugh at this and kiss him. He missed her, the old happy, bubbly, outgoing Zoe. As Clinical Lead, she'd gotten way too stressed and often snapped at him. They'd broken up, and she had left. He missed her like hell.

He waited for what seem like ages for her stitches to be completed.

Eventually, a sleeping Zoe was wheeled out.

Max wheeled her to a side room the he had arranged for her, and waited.

"Hey" Robyn came into the room.

"Hello." He smiled.

"So… what's happened between the two of you? How come you rang her?" she asked.

"Well…" Max told her the full story.

"Wow… you must really love her then." She mused. Max nodded in agreement.

"You know, it was hard to not see that you were besotted with her." She said.

"Yep." He replied.

"Well, all I can say is that I hope she will be okay." She said. "And that things will work out between you." She answered.

"I hope so too." Max smiled.

Robyn's pager went off and so she had to go. Max said goodbye to her and slept for a couple of hours.


	3. Chapter 3-Back Together?

Chapter 3-Back Together?

I don't own any of the lyrics in this chapter. All rights go to Taylor Swift and Big Machine Records.

Max decided to play a song to Zoe, perhaps it would speed the process of her waking up.

It was "Out Of The Woods" by Taylor Swift. She wasn't a big fan of modern pop music, but she seemed to adore this song.

The song started to play and Max mouthed along to the words. Thanks to Zoe, he knew it off by heart.

It came to the climax of the song. Max could not help but laugh at how true they were.

Remember when you hit the brakes too soon?  
>Twenty stitches in the hospital room<br>When you started cryin', baby, I did, too  
>But when the sun came up, I was lookin' at you<br>Remember when we couldn't take the heat  
>I walked out and said, "I'm settin' you free,"<br>But the monsters turned out to be just trees  
>And when the sun came up, you were lookin' at me<br>You were lookin' at me  
>You were lookin' at me,<br>I remember, oh, I remember…

Max started to cry. He was worried that she would die, that he would fall asleep and wake up to the news that she was dead.

He was suddenly aware that she was stirring. He sat up.

"Zoe?" he asked.

"Yeah?" came the sleepy reply.

"Zoe!" Max smiled.

"Hi. What's happened?" she asked.

"You were involved in a car accident, remember? You've just had stitches, later on you're booked in for an X-ray." He took her hand.

Zoe frowned and remembered.

"Oh yes. Were the people in the other car okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes. They got away with a broken back bumper and a smashed back windscreen." Max answered.

"Good." Zoe answered.

"Zoe… how come you were out and about in your car?" he asked.

She sighed. "I was drunk. Very drunk, in fact. I got all sad about you and went to the pub to drown my sorrows." She said.

"Oh, Zoe." Max put his hand into hers.

"I was stupid." She stated.

"We all make mistakes." Max said.

"I guess. I've made a lot in my life… perhaps the accident was sent by a God or something to teach me a lesson." Zoe mused.

"I was so scared, Zo. Scared that you'd die and leave me alone… I still love you, you know." He said.

"What? Really? That scared?" she asked.

"Yes!" Max raised his voice. "Of course! Do you really not see that I love you more than anything? Hell, Zoe." He raged.

"You… what? Say that again." Zoe ordered.

"I love you to bits, more than you'll ever know." Max said.

"I do too… It was a mistake, letting you go." She replied.

Max kissed her. "Come on, Spider-man, it's about time to get you to X-ray." He smiled.

"Yes Mary-Jane!" she giggled.

THE END!

I hope that you all have enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Reviews welcome and Merry Christmas!

Laura xxx


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